Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Cooking Chicken

Updated on August 3, 2013

Chicken Baked In A Brown Paper Bag

Brown Paper Bag Chicken

Brown Paper Bag Chicken is easy to make and it almost seems like magic. The brown paper bag cooks a chicken by steaming it while at the same time it allows the chicken to brown and for the skin to get crisp. And you'll end up with chicken that is super moist and oh so delicious.

It has always amazed me that the paper bag doesn't catch on fire. Just be sure that the bag doesn't touch the top of the oven. And never turn the oven on broil while you have the paper bag in the oven.

1. One Three To Three And A Half Pound Chicken.

2. Ground Sea Salt And Ground Black Pepper.

3. One Sweet Onion Cut In Half.

4. Six Small Sprigs Rosemary.

5. One Tablespoon Paprika.

Rinse your chicken well under cold running water and then pat dry with paper towels. Place the onion and rosemary inside the body cavity of the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken well on the outside with salt, pepper and paprika.

Place the chicken inside a large brown paper bag and tie the end of the bag closed with chicken twine. Place the bag with the chicken in it onto a baking pan with a edge so grease will not run down into the oven.

Bake your chicken at 350 degrees for about one and a half hours. After that time cut your bag open and let the steam escape. Use care so you don't get burned while your cutting the paper bag open. With a thermometer check the temperature in the thickest part of the thigh and if its done it should read 165 degrees or above. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before you carve it up.

To me this is one of the best tasting baked chickens that you'll ever eat in your life and if you follow the recipe and instructions carefully i think you'll agree its one of the best tasting chickens you've ever tasted.

Always Be Safe With Chicken

When we cut up raw or cooked chicken we use a clean plastic cutting board. You really should never use a wooden cutting board because they can crack and the cracks can get filled with dangerous bacteria.

Never leave a package of chicken sitting on the counter to thaw because bacteria thrive at room temperature.Never place cooked chicken on the same platter that held the uncooked meat. Always wash the plate or platter well before you use it again.

Chicken Thighs

Chicken thighs can be used for almost any recipe that you would use chicken breast for. Just remove the skin and bones and beat the chicken thighs flat between layers of plastic wrap. Chicken thighs are about a third the price of chicken breast. And you know what. Chicken thighs have a lot more flavor than chicken breasts.

Butterfly That Chicken

A whole, small chicken takes about a hour to roast, but if your in a hurry butterfly the chicken and save at least 20 minutes. With poultry shears, cut through the backbone, which you can then remove and discard. Turn the chicken over, and use the heel of your hand to flatten the breastbone.

Chill That Chicken

Fresh chicken is highly perishable. As soon as you arrive home from the market, put your chicken away. It can be kept in the coldest part of your refrigerator for up to two days or you can freeze it for up to a year. Chicken that is frost bitten should not be used. Always thaw chicken out on a plate or tray in the lowest part of your refrigerator.

Brine

Brining chicken or meat to enhance flavor and juiciness is an old fashioned technique that's becoming popular again. It gives chicken a wonderful flavor and it makes the meat juicy and moist.

Poultry Shears

Strong scissors with slightly curved blades, one of which has a notched edge. Poultry shears are used to cut through poultry flesh and bones.

Poultry Seasoning

A blend of thyme, sage, pepper, marjoram, rosemary and other herbs. It is usually ground fine so it can be sprinkled over the chicken or mixed into flour for breading.

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Cooking Chicken

Chicken is a domestic bird recognized by the USDA as a principal kind of poultry that provides meat and eggs. Chicken is known for being a high-protein low-fat food; it's available either fresh or frozen, and whole or cut up into parts or pieces. This versatile bird can be prepared in almost any way. You can bake it, broil it, roast it, fry it, braise it, barbecue it or stew it. And I'm sure I missed one or two ways there

How Can I Disinfect After Working With Raw Chicken?

Use a solution made of one part bleach to six parts water and keep it in a spray bottle so you can use it to clean up cutting boards, knifes, counters, and etc. Spray down cutting boards and counters and then wipe them clean. Then go back and clean the same exact area with a strong soap and water solution.

Thaw Your Chicken Correctly!

Always thaw chicken on a tray or in a baking pan in the lowest part of your refrigerator. Be sure to set the thawing chicken on a tray or in a baking pan so the juices don't drip down into the rest of your refrigerator. You never want to leave a package of chicken out on a counter to thaw out. If you do bacteria can grow and if you have bacteria you can quickly make yourself or other people sick.

Take The Temperature Of Your Chicken When It's Cooking

You want to use an instant read thermometer and you want dark meat chicken to reach an internal temperature of 180 degrees and you want chicken breast to reach an internal temperature of 170 degrees. You never want blood or pink juices in any cooked chicken.

Is it really More Economical To Purchase A Whole Chicken And Cut It Up Myself, Or Am I Better Off To Buy It Already Cut Up?

You can always buy a whole chicken for a whole lot less per pound, cut it up in 10 - 15 minutes, serve three extra pieces, counting wings and wishbone, and make stock for he freezer with the giblets and the back. Or, you can spend more per pound for a cut-up-chicken and lots more per pound for a package of pick of the chick pieces. Cutting up a chicken may seem tricky, but once you've done it several times, it becomes easier on you and easier on your pocketbook.

1. Remove leg-thigh portion by cutting between thigh and body. Twist the thigh to break the hip joint. Cut through the joint.

2. Separate drumstick and the thigh by cutting through meat at knee joint, break joint, and cut the two pieces apart.

3. Remove the wings by cutting through skin and joint on inside of wings.

4. Using poultry shears, cut through rib cage along backbone. Reserve the bony back portion for broth, if desired.

5. Split breast into two breast half's by cutting along breastbone.

6. Cutting up your own chicken gives you these eight pieces. - 2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks, and 2 wings. You'll also have the backbone, the neck, and the giblets for making broth or stock.

Oven Fried Chicken

1. One And One Fourth Cups Italian Bread Crumbs.

2. one Fourth Cup Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese.

3. One Half Cup Mayonnaise.

4. One Teaspoon Sea Salt.

5. One Teaspoon Poultry Seasoning.

6. One Level Teaspoon Ground Cayenne Pepper.

7. Eight Skinned And Boned Chicken Thighs.

Stir together your breadcrumbs and the cheese.

Stir together the mayonnaise and the next three ingredients.

Dip the chicken thighs first into the mayonnaise and then roll them into the breadcrumbs and cheese.

Place onto well greased tin foil on a baking pan and bake in a 450 degree oven for about twenty minutes until golden brown. About half way through the cooking time turn the chicken over to insure it gets cooked all the way through. You'll have some of the best oven fried chicken you'll ever get to eat.

Delicious Double Breaded Chicken

Easy Garlic Chicken

Here is a recipe for delicious easy garlic chicken. This chicken is so delicious.

Here is a recipe for delicious easy garlic chicken. This chicken is so delicious.

Easy Garlic Chicken Recipe

You won't believe how great this chicken recipe is or how easy it is to make until you make it and taste it. I can't tell you how many times I've made this delightfully delicious recipe. But I can tell you that I enjoy it every time I make it.

Ingredients And Information

1. Four Skinned Boneless Chicken Breast.

2. Two Tablespoons Fresh Minced Garlic.

3. Four Tablespoons Brown Sugar.

4. Two Tablespoons Olive Oil.

Instructions For Making The Easy Garlic Chicken Recipe

You'll want to start by pre-heating your oven to 400 degrees.

In a small saute pan saute the garlic in the oil until the garlic is tender.

Remove the saute pan from the heat and stir in the brown sugar.

Spray a casserole dish with vegetable cooking spray and lay the chicken breast in the casserole dish.

Take a spoon and spread the garlic and brown sugar out over the top side of the chicken breast.

Bake for 15 - 18 minutes in the 400 degree oven until the chicken is done. Be sure to keep a close eye on the chicken and don't over cook it.

You can if you wish make this dish with skinned and de-boned chicken thighs. Try making it both ways and see what you think. To me this is one of the most delicious chicken dishes I've ever had. When you make it post a comment and let us all know what you think.

Homemade Chicken Stock Is Much Better Than The Canned Variety.

Here is chicken stock being made in a pot on a stove top.

How To Make Homemade Chicken Stock

You can use chicken backs, chicken necks, turkey necks, chicken giblets, turkey giblets, celery, carrots, and onions to make chicken stock. You should season the stock lightly with salt and pepper. After the stock cooks and all the meat and veggies are done you should let the stock cool down to room temperature and then strain the liquid off the meat, bones and vegetables. Discard the bones, meat, and vegetables. Put your stock in a covered container in the refrigerator overnight. Never put hot stock in the refrigerator.

The next day take your container of stock out of the refrigerator and scoop and skim all the fat off the top of the chicken stock and discard the fat. You'll be left with a rich delicious stock that will be some of the most flavorful stock you've ever tasted. You can use the stock at this point for making chicken and dumplings or you can freeze it for later use.

Country Captain, Chicken Stew

Country Captain is a spicy dish of chicken stew that includes onion, tomatoes, green bell peppers, celery, curry powder, and seasonings slowly cooked in a covered skillet. It's often sprinkled with toasted almonds and served over rice.

Georgians claim that an early sea captain brought this recipe from India to Savannah Georgia. The dish was catapulted to fame when it was served to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in Warm Springs, Georgia.

Country Captain Ingredients, Recipe, And Instructions

1. Three Fourths Cup All Purpose Flour.

2. One Teaspoon Paprika.

3. One Teaspoon Ground Cayenne Pepper.

4. Twelve Chicken Legs.

5. One Fourth Cup Margarine Divided.

6. Two Tablespoons Vegetable Oil.

7. One Half Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley.

8. Three To Four Bell Peppers , Seeded, And Chopped Fine.

9. Two To Three Sweet Onions Diced Fine.

10. Two Tablespoons Minced Fresh Garlic.

11. Two Tablespoons Curry Powder.

12. One Teaspoon Ground Sea Salt.

13. One Teaspoon Black Pepper.

14. Pinch Of Nutmeg.

15. Two Fourteen And One Half Ounce Cans Tomatoes.

16. One Half Cup Golden Raisins.

17. Six Cups Hot Cooked Buttered Rice.

Combine the first three ingredients in a large heavy duty zip lock bag.

Place chicken a few pieces at a time into the flour mixture shaking to coat.

Melt two tablespoons butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil.

Brown chicken on all sides in hot butter mixture. Remove pieces as they brown and set aside.

Reserve the pan drippings.

Add remaining two tablespoons butter, parsley, and next seven ingredients to drippings. Saute until the onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes and raisins. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and add the chicken pieces. Cover and simmer for thirty minutes. Be sure your chicken is done and then serve over hot buttered rice. This is one of the best recipes for the Country Captain that I have ever seen. I've been making it by this recipe for over forty years now and I've made it and served it to tens of thousands of people over the years.

Delicious Double Breaded Chicken

Chicken And Dumplings Recipe

This recipe for Chicken and Dumplings has carrots and celery in them but you can leave the carrots and celery out or put them in. It's really up to you.

Chicken And Dumplings Ingredients.

1. One Two And One Half Pound Chicken Cut Up.

2. One Cup Peeled Carrots Cut Up Into Pieces.

3. One Cup Fine Diced Celery.

4. Three Teaspoons Sea Salt.

5. One Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper.

6. One Tablespoon Minced Fresh Garlic.

7. One Teaspoon Ground Dry Thyme.

8. One Level Teaspoon Ground Cayenne Pepper.

9. Three Cups Self Rising Flour.

10. One Teaspoon Poultry Seasoning.

11. One Third Cup Crisco Shortening.

12. Two Teaspoons Bacon Grease.

13. One Cup Whole Milk.

14. One Teaspoon Dry Powdered Sage.

Cover chicken with water in a large stock pot and add salt, pepper, garlic, thyme, ground cayenne pepper, and powdered sage. Cook slowly over medium heat until your chicken is done and falling off the bone. Set off the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.

Take the skin and bones from the pot and coarsely chop the chicken. Return the chicken to the pot and and bring it back to a simmer.

Combine the flour, and poultry seasoning in a bowl. Cut in the shortening and bacon drippings with a pastry blender or knife until the mixture is crumbly like course meal. Add the milk stirring until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll out to a eighth of a inch thick. Cut into one inch pieces.

Bring the broth to a boil. Drop the dumplings a few at a time into the boiling broth. Stir gently. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and stir gently from the bottom often.

I guarantee you that these will be some of the most delicious chicken and dumplings you will ever eat.

Quick And Easy Chicken And Dumplings

You can always make really quick chicken and dumplings by heating two cups of chicken stock with two cups of small pieces of cooked chicken. Bring to a boil and while it is heating up cut a package of canned biscuits from the refrigerator section at the super market into small pieces and drop the cut up pieces of canned biscuits into the boiling broth.

Let the dumplings cook until your sure they are done and then stir up all the contents of the pot up well together and now you can dip the chicken and dumplings out into serving bowls filled a third of the way with hot buttered rice. Sprinkle the top of the chicken and dumplings with fine diced fresh cilantro.

And you now have delicious quick and easy chicken and dumplings that will be delicious. You can have these ready in just a few minutes and with the hot buttered rice they make a delicious meal that anyone who likes chicken and dumplings will love. When you have time make chicken broth and freeze it and cook chicken you've cut up and freeze that and you can have chicken and dumplings ready in just a few minutes.

Delicious Double Breaded Chicken

Delicious Homemade Chicken Strips

This is a quick and easy recipe for chicken strips that I bet anyone who loves chicken will love. What I suggest doing here is purchasing a big family pack of chicken thighs and when they are thawed remove the skin and bones from each chicken thigh.

Then cut each chicken thigh into three equal strips.

In one bowl combine two cups of buttermilk and two large eggs and beat the mixture very well with a wire whisk until you can no longer see bits of egg. Be sure that you stir up from the bottom so everything gets very well mixed together.

In another bowl put the below and mix together very well.

1. Two Cups Flour.

2. One Teaspoon Salt.

3. One Teaspoon Black Pepper.

4. One Teaspoon Poultry Seasoning.

5. One Teaspoon Dried Crushed Parsley.

Mix all five ingredients together very well.

You can first put your hand cut chicken strips into the butter milk and egg mixture and then dip the chicken into the dry flour mixture. Put your breaded chicken strips out on a tray or pan with out touching each other.

Heat oil in a pan or home deep fryer to 350 degrees and cook your chicken strips to golden brown and done. Be sure that your chicken strips get cooked until they are done. If you fry in a pan be sure it is deep enough to keep oil from spilling over the sides and causing a fire. Grease fires can happen quickly and can not be put out with water. Keep a lid near by that will fit the pan tightly in case of a fire. You should always have a ABC fire extinguisher handy in your kitchen in case of a fire. Mount it on the wall near your stove.

Great Barbecue Chicken Strips

You can make the chicken strips by the above recipe and when the chicken strips are done put the chicken strips into a bowl and pour a cup of your favorite barbecue sauce into the bowl with the chicken strips and stir them around to coat the chicken strips with the barbecue sauce. And you'll have some of the best barbecue chicken strips that you'll ever eat.

Delicious Honey Mustard Dressing

1. One Cup Mayonnaise.

2. Four Tablespoons Honey.

3. Three Tablespoons Yellow Mustard.

4. One Teaspoon Lemon Juice.

5. One Teaspoon Ground Horseradish.

Mix the five ingredients together very well in a plastic container that has a lid. Be sure all the ingredients get very well mixed together and then cover the container and chill over night in the refrigerator. Serve the next day with your homemade chicken strips.

Delicious Chicken Pie Recipe

First of all you'll need to make the pie pastry you'll find at the top of the Hub Page on Pastry you'll find by CLICKING HERE. Make that pastry and go ahead and make that pie pastry and fix your bottom crust. Precook the bottom crust for 12 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

You'll need a nine inch pie pan to make your chicken pie in. I promise you that if you ever make this delicious chicken pie once you'll make it again and again because it is one of the most delicious chicken pies you'll ever eat.

In a bowl mix the below.

1. One Cup Of Chicken Broth.

2. One Half Cup Sliced Cooked Carrots.

3. One Half Cup English Peas.

4. One Fourth Cup Sweet Red Or Purple Sweet Onion Diced Very Fine.

5. Two Cups Cooked Diced Chicken.

6. One Fourth Cup Fine Diced Fresh Button Mushrooms.

7. One Teaspoon Poultry Seasoning.

You want to mix all seven of the ingredients together very well in a bowl and put the ingredients into the precooked pie shell. Now roll out your top pie crust and put it on top of the pie and crimp the two crusts together very well with a fork. Cut slits in the top crust all the way around.

Bake the pie setting on a sheet pan for one hour and ten minutes at 350 degrees until the pie is golden brown and done. You'll end up with one of the best homemade chicken pies that you'll ever eat. I've made this delicious chicken pies for many people and they all loved it. You can double the ingredients and the pastry recipe and make two chicken pies.You'll want to brush the top of the pie crust with butter about half way through the cooking of the pie.

Quick Chicken Pie

Use the same seven ingredients as for the pie above. You'll also need a 13" X 9" baking pan. Spray that pan with vegetable cooking spray and then put the mixed up ingredients into the baking pan.

Now mix two and one half cups Bisquick baking mix with a teaspoon of poultry seasoning and enough whole milk to make a batter. You don't want the batter to be thick but you also don't want it to thick.

Carefully pour the mixed up baking mix over the top of the mixed up chicken pie ingredients and shake the pan to make sure it is level and even. Put in a 350 degree oven and bake until the crust is golden brown. Your going to end up with a delicious chicken pie that everyone is going to love and enjoy.

Delicious Double Breaded Chicken

Thanks For Reading My Hub Page On Chicken And Chicken Recipes

I hope you enjoyed reading my Hub Page on Chicken and I really hope you learned something. Be sure to watch the video and I hope you get to try one or more of the delicious chicken recipes here really soon. I've made all of these recipes many times and they all turn out very well. Thanks For Reading.

More by this Author

For those of you who don't know I have been a Chef now for over 30 years and I've been the Executive Chef in some of the best restaurants in the southeastern United States. And one item that people every where just...